True Colors
by Auror Lupin
Summary: The wizarding world is at war with Voldemort and his followers. In the midst of chaos alliances will be made and broken. How far would will the old crowd go to save their friends and former enemies and what part will Arabella play?
1. A Second Chance

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here you recognize. They all belong to JK Rowling. I'm just a broke high school student, there is no reason to sue me :O)  
  
Prologue  
  
It was happing, despite how much he tried to tell himself to the contrary it was happening and it could not be stopped. The Dark Lord had returned and beckoned his followers to him. They had killed. The years of horror that the Death Eaters had unleashed on the wizarding world so many years ago were about to come again, only this time it would be worse. They had been kept in the dark for so long, scattered and only whispers of a false hope kept them watchful that one day they would return to power. Yet those whispers turned true, as their marks had burned black that night.  
  
They would go to him, however hesitantly they did it, they would go to him and find Voldemort reborn in all his horrible brilliance and dark glory. All his followers back within his circle ready to sweep across the world like a plague and announce their rebirth.  
  
And they would. He could see the devastation their return would bring as he listened to the Potter boy's ramblings. He could see the countless murders, tortures, and various despicable acts. He could envision the dark mark hanging ominously in the air over a ruined household. But what angered him the most was the look he saw on Fudge's face. The look of disbelief, of horror. He did not want to think it true, and he was not going to believe it.  
  
"Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. if you are ready...if you are prepared..." those words rang in Severus Snape's ears louder than any bell, any scream, any shocking noise that he had heard in his years. He had always wished that death would come swiftly to him, beckoning him out of his misery, out of his solitude and loneliness. And now, he knew in his heart that his moment had arrived. He would be facing death in the face in a few short moments. It scared him.  
  
In that moment he was terrified beyond his wildest dreams. He did not consider himself brave like James Potter who had died in vain, for the mere chance that some god somewhere would take mercy on his wife and son. He was not brave like Remus Lupin who faced the discrimination, hate, and fear of society with a smile on his face. He wasn't even brave like that slimy Sirius Black that spent twelve years rotting away for a crime he did not commit. He had spent one week in Azkaban and it had consumed him. He was not as brave as his enemies, which were now his allies in the fight against the butchers of wizarding society.  
  
The color drained out of his face as he considered what the Headmaster was asking him to do. He could feel his insides twisting into a knot at his middle and squeezing. A sudden cold swept over his body, the cold feeling of pure dread hit him but he nodded and choked out, "I am," and followed after the eager Sirius Black.  
  
And now here he was in front of his closet, pulling out the mahogany trunk which he had kept tucked back in the shadows for so long. Tucked back with his memories and souvenirs of his violent past. He stepped back and stared for a moment, at that dust-covered chest and what it represented. With a steady hand he undid the lock and pushed back the top, letting it fall to the floor of his room with a loud bang. A black, hooded cloak lie at the bottom of the trunk, folded neatly and tucked away like the unwanted memory it was. His finger brushed over the faceless black mask that rested on top of it before pulling both the cloak and mask under his arm and leaving the room, his wand held tightly in his other hand.  
  
The wind whipped around his body, sending his robes flying all about him as he stood, gazing up at the castle, which represented his place of safety. His cloak hung around his shoulders and he fumbled with the string around his neck that held the hood in place. When it was secured, he pulled up the hood and reached for his mask that still waited, secured under his arm. The power seemed to ooze from the material as he put it over his face and let out a breath, feeling the warm air hit his face as he moisture clung to his skin. With a wave of his wand he apparated.  
  
~*~  
  
The Riddle Manor loomed in the distance, dilapidated and unkept it served as an all too present reminder of the Dark Lord's distaste for Muggles. He was here. Severus always could tell when Voldemort was near, the air seemed to buzz with certain electricity that almost always resulted in pain and anguish on someone's part. The cemetery was within walking distance and he was not surprised that they had cleared the area so quickly. The Death Eaters were not a stupid lot, they knew there would be investigations after Potter told his story.  
  
But being caught by Aurors was the least of Snape's worries. His presence in Death Eater robes could easily be explained should he be taken. Yet his absence from the meeting circle earlier in the evening was not so easily explained. There would be punishment for his absence...Another wave of fear washed over him as he felt his muscles tighten in anticipation. A cold breeze hit his back, turning his sweat to ice and causing his robes to stick to his back. He rolled his shoulders, trying to dislodge the heavy material from his skin.  
  
A snap of a twig alerted Severus he was not alone and before he could turn his head around the tip of a wand pressed into the small of his back and he froze. "Don't move." came the harsh command from behind him. Severus let out a sigh of relief as he recognized the smooth voice of Lucius Malfoy. "It's me." he said, all too aware of the small tremble in his voice. The pressure from the wand was taken away and he turned to see the dark form of his old friend, clad in Death Eater apparel.  
  
"You are a fool Severus. Our Master is very displeased that you didn't arrive. I fear he has something particularly painful in store for when he finds you. He believes you betrayed him after you pledged your eternal loyalty." Lucius drawled, and to a bystander, the small air of protectiveness that surrounded the statement would have gone unnoticed. But Severus caught it and almost smiled to himself. He had felt the same rush of some unnamed feeling when Potter had told Fudge about seeing Lucius at the Dark Lord's side. Of all the Death Eaters Severus had betrayed in siding with Dumbledore, he only felt bad about Lucius, who had trusted him with his life and vice versa.  
  
"I assure you, my old friend, that my loyalties have not wavered in the slightest. There was mayhem at the castle with Potter and Diggory's disappearance, I couldn't find a moment to apparate without bringing attention.." Severus trailed off and cleared his throat when Malfoy cocked his head to the side and he realized he was rambling. "Where is My Lord now, I have been waiting many years for a joyous reunion." He asked.  
  
"We scattered when Potter left," he spat at the name, "I have no idea where he went to, perhaps to find-" The darkened mask covering his face looked away from his and over Severus' shoulder. "Perhaps to find what reason a Death Eater who had always been loyal should overlook the fact that I had returned and choose to ignore his master's call?" came the icy, almost bored voice that haunted Snape's sleep. Slowly, he turned and before him stood the darkest wizard to ever set foot upon the earth. Voldemort stood, living and breathing, red eyes narrowed into slits as if he saw right through Severus' valiant and loyal facade and into the heart of a traitor. He was leaning against a headstone, twirling his wand aimlessly between his fingers, his face an unreadable mask.  
  
"My Lord..." Severus started as he kneeled in the wet grass to kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes, leaving his head bowed in respect, but leaving his muscles tightened, awaiting his ultimatum which would come from the mercy of the wizard before him. However, Voldemort took a step back and hissed, "Rise, you have no business touching me you filthy traitor." Slowly Severus stood back up, keeping his back straight as he stared into the face of The Dark Lord who stepped closer, so that their faces were only a few inches apart.  
  
"I do not take well to broken pledges. A wizard is only as good as his word and your word was broken along with your loyalty to me, was it not Severus?" he inquired while rolling up the sleeve to Snape's left arm, exposing the dark mark to the icy night air. "I pledged my eternal loyalty to you my Lord and for all these long years that has remained intact. I have never faltered." It sounded week even to his own ears and he knew hope was lost when Voldemort just smiled and began to circle him like the vulture he was.  
  
"You lie. You lie straight to your Master's face. I regret to do this Severus, but you will serve as an example. Something must serve as an example to my loyal followers, show them what happens when people betray me, when they are no longer worthy to bear the mark..." His blood eyes burned like fire and captivated Snape's black depths as he spoke.  
  
Voldemort dropped his arm and smiled, his eyes scanning him with a mix of joy and malice. Severus felt like some sort of outcast as he stood there, accepting the inevitable. Voldemort would show him no mercy. He stood, chin up, back straight as the Dark Lord reached his hand up and threw back the hood to his cloak, pausing only a second, and then pulling the mask right off his face. Snape's heart seemed to stop beating as he stared at his mask on the ground, face down. The Dark Lord had unmasked him, Severus Snape. He had seen what happens to those poor fools who had the bad luck of crossing Voldemort on a bad day. The unmasking held a symbolic message-That person had betrayed his brothers and sisters and would pay a heavy price.  
  
"The bond we share should not be so easy to throw aside, Severus." he whispered.  
  
Voldemort's wand was at his throat now, lifting his head up and bringing his eyes level with the glowing red flames. "No groveling? I didn't expect any from you, though I would like to say I would have rather liked to her you beg for your life. No matter, soon you will be begging for death.."  
  
There it was-his ultimatum.....He could feel the blood rushing in his ears and his heart seemed to break at the news. It was all in vain! Lucius clearing his throat from behind him broke the uneasy silence of the cemetery. "My Lord...if I may say something?" Voldemort dropped his wand to his side and peered over Severus, surprise shining maniacally in his eyes. "Lucius? You have something to add? I thought you, more than anyone else loves to see traitors get what they deserve."  
  
"Indeed I do my Lord. But, forgive me I am not second guessing you in any way, but I do believe that had Severus been alone, he would have come." When he received nothing more than a raised brow as a response he continued. "As a mayor of the school, I know that when something goes wrong the staff are immediately called together and I doubt there was any way Severus could have gotten away from them without raising much suspicion. The fact that he is here now, knowing that you would be displeased proves in my mind, his loyalties."  
  
Severus had never been so happy to hear anything in his life! If a member of Voldemort's own inner circle was vouching for him, perhaps he would be able to serve his purpose in this inevitable war on the horizon. But then he began to fear that Lucius had just signed his own death certificate along with his own when Voldemort stood in front of the other wizard silently, staring into his eyes and waiting for Lucius to back down from him.  
  
But Lucius was smart, he did not look him in the eyes to show defiance, nor did he take back what he said. He just stood, head bowed and waiting for Voldemort's decree. "You give him your full confidence, do you?" he asked. At this Lucius nodded and raised his eyes to The Dark Lord's to show his sincerity. Voldemort pursed his lips and nodded. "Very well Lucius, you may leave now." he said, turning back to Severus. With a small pop he was gone and he was left alone with a Dark Lord that obviously had something up his sleeve.  
  
"Apparently he deems you trust worthy, and I am willing to take a chance. But mark my words Severus. If I /ever/ have reason to believe that I do not have your full loyalty, you had better hope that old fool you play lap dog too sees to your safety, for you will curse the day I find you. Now leave." he hissed, turning his back to him.  
  
The knot that had been building in Severus' chest suddenly collapsed and he felt lightheaded once more. Not with the heavy sinking feeling of dread, but with the light airy feeling of pure luck. He quickly diapparated before Voldemort had a chance to change his mind.  
  
~*~  
  
The bright shining faces and mirthful chatter were gone from the Great Hall during the last feast of the school year. All across the four tables the student's faces were either a sullen mask of tears and sadness or genuine confusion. Small, quiet conversations were mixed together into a dull roar as students sat at the tables, some for their last year. Severus watched every face and read every emotion from his seat at the High Table- Sadness from the Hufflepuffs, confusion from the Ravenclaws, unease from the Gryffindors, and arrogance from the Slytherins. Yet the tight jawed Harry Potter's face showed only guilt. Guilt that he had been too slow to save Cedric. His eyes lingered on Harry for a moment as the boy who lived caught his gaze and stared back.  
  
"Yes Potter, your worst fears are realized," he thought as a sneer crossed his face, "Wither the fools in the Ministry will admit it or not there will be a war of enormous casualties. You and the other softhearted Gryffindors will learn of it with your own eyes. There will be betrayal, death, and angst all around and you will feel it all. Innocence will be lost to hatred and cold-hearted malice. If you live to the end Potter, you will never be the same.." And then he looked away.  
  
  
  
A/N: Hey :O) I hope you liked it! I got sick of all the Sev and Lucius secret hatred fics out there because I personally don't think that's what their relationship is like. Well Leave me some reviews and I'll love you forever!! 


	2. A New Arrival

A/N: I don't own anything you recognize, no need to sue me im just a broke high school student with a fixation for Harry Potter! Please R/R  
  
Unsung Heroes  
  
  
  
Timber End was a small gray town outside of Hogsmeade. It didn't hold the bustling shops or expansive houses of Hogsmeade, nor did it have the well to do, aristocratic inhabitants. It was a poor section, many of the old wooden buildings were either dilapidated, or just barely kept together by magic. Windows were boarded up and shutters were falling off but it made no difference to the villagers who went about their daily lives, happy for the blessing that they had boards for their windows.  
  
A single, unkept dirt road twisted through the town but it was barely visible and almost flooded out by the torrential down pour that was cascading from the skies. A shaggy black dog slinking low to the ground, made its way along the road, his paws sinking into the thick mud of the pathway. His ears were pressed down to his head, which he swung from side to side, searching.  
  
All the houses were just outlines of gray against the inky black of the night, lighted only by the occasional flash of white lightning. He had been following the faint, yet familiar scent since he got into the town. It grew stronger as he trudged along the path and he knew it wouldn't be long before he could get out of the terrible storm and perhaps unthaw by a fire.  
  
At last the dog came upon the last building along the road and stopped, peering through the rain at the small wooden framework. It was not the worst house he had seen on his way up from Hogsmeade, it could be classified as one of the more well kept ones. It seemed to tilt to the left, just enough for you to notice and take a second look to be sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you. The dog inhaled and threw the smell of wet grass and rain, he could now clearly pick up the scent he had been searching for.  
  
He barked, looking into one of the windows of the second floor, circling himself and barking again, louder this time. When he received no answer he began to howl, low and mournful, rising in volume until his canine eyes saw the small light in the downstairs window and slowly, the door opened. The dog wasted now time. It lied down on its belly in the wet grass and shook the water from its fur as it swiftly transformed into the form of a man, crouched down on the ground wearing patched up robes, that were muddy and soaked through.  
  
Remus Lupin stepped out onto the lawn, the drops of hard rain blurring his senses and dying the fabric of his black cloak darker as he watched the man stand and flick back his long dark hair in a canine gesture. He had changed since the last time they had met, he was still far too skinny and his back still seemed to be burdened with some invisible weight, but his shoulders had become broader and his eyes had lost a bit of their hollow coldness.  
  
"Hello Padfoot." he said and watched something flicker in Sirius Black's eyes and he smiled. It looked as though for a moment, the same flamboyant and passionate man he once known was standing before him again with a feral grin which always meant trouble. Lupin stepped foreword and embraced him, all the painful and wonderful memories of the Marauders rushing back as Sirius clung to him tightly. "Hello Moony, old friend. I hope my appearance here isn't too much of a shock or inconvenience or anything." Remus laughed softly and released him, "Come in, you must be freezing."  
  
Sirius followed him into the house and shivered slightly with the sudden change in temperature. He glanced around the room quickly as Remus lit some candles with a quick, "Incendio." There were two worn brown couches and one armchair placed in front of a small hearth. A single rug lay on the floor and piled upon it were chopped up logs of wood for the fire, with two pokers leaning against them. On the mantle piece sat a bottled potion and a single picture. He recognized himself, patting James on the back with a grin as he held Harry in his arms. Lily stood them with Remus smiling happily. Peter had taken the picture nearly 13 years ago.  
  
"Dumbledore sent me an owl yesterday morning and told me you'd be arriving soon. How is Harry holding up?" Remus asked as he headed into another room. Sirius sighed, "Not too well I'm afraid. He went to the Dursley's this morning...I wish you could have seen his eyes Remus...I cant even begin to tell you."  
  
When he had listened to his godson speak in Dumbledore's small office the night before his heart nearly shattered, not because of the words that brought the harsh truth and reality of what was on the horizon, but because of the look reflected in those emerald green eyes. He had seen that look in the eyes of another that he had pledged his blood and dying breath to protect. Lily's eyes held that same look of pure terror and lost hope in those hectic last few days of her life. And now he was seeing it again in the eyes of the child that he loved as his own son. But he had to correct himself, Harry was no longer a child in mindset. He was a man, who had faced so much more than any one should in his few years and faced much more in the years ahead.  
  
Sirius was jarred from his thoughts as Remus came back, holding a stack of neatly folded clothes under one arm, and a forest green woolen blanket in the other. "You can tell me in a minute," He said, holding the clothing out to him. Sirius took them with a grateful smile, "Get out of those clothes, my floor is wet enough with all the leaks. You can just throw them in the bathtub, the washroom is the first door on your left, and watch out for the buckets on the floor." He said, pointing down the small hallway.  
  
Sirius nodded and disappeared from view while Remus headed to the kitchen cabinet, clicking his tongue and moving bottles aside before pulling down his last supply of Ogden's Fire Whisky. As he had just finish pouring the last of the alcohol he heard a heavy thud, followed by a splash of water and Sirius' cursing.  
  
"The bucket?" Remus asked. "Yeah, sorry." Came the reply. "Just throw some towels down and put the bucket back where it was." Remus smiled and looked at the empty bottle. He would definitely be needing more whisky. When Dumbledore sent him an owl he was surprised to find it wasn't accompanied by some tropical songbird that Sirius loved to send his letters by, but after reading he learned of just why there had been no happy letter from Sirius in the past few months and he began to await the arrival of his friend.  
  
~~**~~  
  
Severus raised a brow at the Headmaster. "Excuse me?" he asked, leaning foreword, not quite sure he had heard correctly. He knew that Albus was going more and more senile with each coming year but he never imagined that it would get so bad as this. "With all do respect Albus....that can't be done." Dumbledore just smiled and took a lemon drop from the container on his desk, unwrapping it with long careful fingers. "Severus, I'm afraid you have no choice. I will not have you and Sirius carrying out a schoolboy grudge which may endanger the delicate balance or trust and friendship that we must harbor if we wish to defeat Voldemort." Snape was dumfounded, he stared angrily at the wizard seated before him in the ornate wooden chair. His eyes were tired and his long facial hair was not brushed and raggedy. Clearly he had not slept well the night before, as none of the staff had.  
  
"I shook hands with him Albus! Is that not enough, you can not possibly to go ask me to go stay with Black /and/ Lupin!" Snape hissed clenching his fists into the chair, "It's an outrage!" Dumbledore regarded him for a moment before leaning foreword and steepling his fingers, as if getting ready to punish a disobedient child. "Severus, this has gone on long enough. You can not possibly hold this out any longer, there is nothing that Remus has done for you to be upset with him about. Can you not just try and put aside these foolish grudges and cooperate with them? Things will run much smoother. You're holding on to memories of the past, they are not those people any more. They have changed, as you have and I'm sure that Sirius is equally vehement about you staying there but you all need to spend some time together and that is my decision." He said with a wave of his hand, showing that no words or pleas would alter his decree.  
  
Severus scowled, the lines running from his nose to his mouth becoming deeper. "When shall I leave." He spat. Dumbledore smiled, obviously pleased with himself and his little arrangement. "Tomorrow , Severus. I shall write a letter to them both informing them of your arrival and I shall warn Sirius just have as I have warned you. If I were you I would begin packing and get a good night sleep. I shall keep in touch."  
  
With an angry glare, Severus rose fro the chair and stormed from the office, black robes billowing dramatically in his wake. He threw open the door with a bang and stalked down the stairs, not bothering to close it. There were many things in his life that didn't present themselves as being even remotely fair but this was by far the worst.  
  
  
  
  
  
Please r/r tankies mucho! 


	3. A Third Wheel

A/N: I don't own anything you recognize, I'm just a broke high school student so there's no reason to sue me :O) please r/r  
  
True Colors Chapter Three  
  
Remus pulled his robes closer around him as he stepped out of his room and maneuvered carefully around the buckets, still on the floor. The steady drip of the leak in the ceiling was echoing behind him as he made his way into the living room. Sirius was sprawled out on the couch, one leg hanging off the side and his mouth wide open. His rhythmic snores told Remus he had been fast asleep for a while and probably would be for a while.  
  
He decided to let his visitor sleep for a little while longer and made his way into the kitchen. His canine-like senses picked up the smell of the early morning dew and he inhaled deeply as he searched through the pantry for some breakfast food. As he passed the window he paused to take a glance at his reflection. His choppy auburn hair fell almost to his shoulders and was usually tied back in a small ponytail. His bangs however, were still too short and fell across his forehead. His amber eyes were heavy with sleep and he splashed some water from the sink on his face and continued on his quest for food. He decided on some muffins and jam and was fixing a plate of them when he heard the soft hoot of an owl, barely audible over Sirius.  
  
He crossed to the living room and drew up the blinds to see his puffy brown barn owl sitting on the window ledge, three letters and the Daily Prophet attached to its leg. "Good Morning Silence." he whispered, opening the window and holding his arm out for the owl to step onto. He quickly untied the letters and dropped them on the side table by the couch before bringing the owl into the kitchen and handing it one half of a muffin.  
  
Silence clicked her beak happily as Remus slid into a chair and spread his mail in front of him. Judging from the seals, he noted that the first letter was from Dumbledore, the second from the Ministry, and the third was in the tidy scrawl of a woman that looked vaguely familiar. He used a kitchen knife to break the seal on the one from Dumbledore and slid the neatly folded parchment out onto the table.  
  
Remus,  
  
I hope this letter finds you (and Sirius) well. I'm sure by now you have been filled in on all of the odds and ends of what has been going, and that Sirius has elaborated on my last letter to you. The old crowd has been summoned and they will be arriving soon to join us in our efforts. Arabella Figg has been notified as well as Mundungus Fletcher. I believe they are both on their way to Hogsmeade to meet with those of us already here. We can not count on the Ministry for any help for there is a small number of us who know the truth.  
  
As you and I both know there is a long, ongoing, and in my mind quite juvenile grudge being held by Severus against you two. Though I think the time you spent at Hogwarts has somewhat cooled his bloodlust as far as you are concerned the open hostility he shows to Sirius can hardly go unnoticed. For this reason I decided it would be best if the three of you spent some time together, perhaps it will be enough for all of you to see that you are different people who have grown and matured from the days you spent at the school.  
  
Severus has been warned repeatedly by me that he is to keep his tongue in check and I ask you to tell Sirius the same. A balance of trust and obligation to one another must be achieved if we wish to emerge victorious from the no doubt long and drawn out battle that seems to be inevitable.  
  
I apologize for the short notice, Severus will be arriving this evening. Please make Sirius aware that no hostility will be tolerated.  
  
Sincerly,  
  
Proffessor Albus Dumbledore Headmaster  
  
He sighed and folded the letter back up. The situation would have been rather humorous had it not been for the fact that he would be caught in the middle of it. Dumbledore worked in mysterious ways and often times his most outrageous plans that were destined to fail turned out to be a stroke of genius on his part. This one however, was impossible. Sirius and Severus being within yards of each other had never yielded positive results. At least in Severus' mind he had settled the score with Remus when he "let the word slip" that he was a werewolf. But the war had never really been with Remus, he was just a pawn and a middle man. The real war was and always would be with Sirius.  
  
Remus reached over to the basket of fruit he kept on the table and pulled out a ripe apple. "Well, I might as well clue him in now." he muttered to himself as he wound his arm back and threw the apple onto Sirius' sleeping form. There was a grunt in response and Sirius rolled over onto his stomach with a barely audible mumble, adjusting the blankets over his head to protect himself from any more attacks.  
  
"Sirius, Albus sent me a letter." Remus stated as he left the kitchen, lit brightly by the early morning sunrays and into the dark living room. He nudged Sirius in the side, noting that even though he had gained weight, his ribs were still visible through his skin. It was an improvement from the half-starved ghost of a man he was last year. "Up." he commanded.  
  
One chocolate brown eye opened and regarded Remus' face for a moment before he muttered that he was listening. Remus sunk into the overstuffed armchair by the fireplace and across from the couch. "Arabella and Fletcher are on their way here. I think Dumbledore expects us all to be his own private legion of aurors."  
  
"You always wanted to be an auror, and I already know that, I'm the one that summoned them." Sirius yawned as he sat up and stretched, arranging the blanket over the back of the couch. Remus smiled slightly and nodded. "Well..." he trailed off not knowing how to break the news to Sirius without provoking his explosive personality, "Albus wants someone else to stay here...just for a short time I'm assuming, but Severus will be arriving this evening and-"  
  
"Excuse me?" Sirius inquired shortly, staring straight into Remus' face. "I must not have been listening, I though you just said that Snape was coming here." Remus opened his mouth to say that he had heard right but thought better of it and began to choose his words carefully. He was treading on thin ice as it was.  
  
"Albus thinks you two need to resolve your issues, I'm sure that Severus doesn't like it any better than you do, but you have to accept him as being on the same side as you. You have to give him all of your trust." Sirius just laughed at that, pushing himself off the couch with a bit of a crazed laugh, he rain his hand through his long shaggy black hair muttering, "Ridiculous. Absolutely Ridiculous. We shook hands at the castle, was that not enough?" he asked turning on Remus who shrugged. "I'm guessing that if you and Severus shook hands it was far from friendly and Dumbledore probably forced you to."  
  
Sirius' smirk told him he had been right, neither one of their prideful personalities would allow the two men to put aside differences to shake hands and actually mean it. "The old man really pulled one over on us. I must admit I would have loved to Severus' response when Albus told him to behave." Sirius said, heading to the kitchen and swiping a muffin from the plate.  
  
"I bet he was livid. Exiting in a mass of swirling robes and cursing anything that stepped in his way," Remus laughed, "I bet he's on the warpath." Sirius returned with half a muffin hanging from his mouth while he wiped the spilled jelly off of his shirt, "He has reason to be, but he should be happy. It'll give him an excuse to brood and stamp around like a hippogriff all day." Remus smirked knowing that that description was probably accurate.  
  
"So are you going to be civil to him?" he asked. Sirius swallowed the last of the muffin and picked the crumbs off his friend's robe. "Yes mother, I will play nice with the greasy scumbag. I'll try not to have you put us in time out."  
  
"I'm Serious."  
  
"So am I."  
  
Remus raised a brow, wondering if he was referring to the all to overused play on his name or his intentions but on second though decided that he really didn't want to know. "I'm going to go get some firewhisky...try not to level the house while I'm gone." he joked.  
  
"I'll try, no promises though."  
  
~*~  
  
Severus sat with his back straight against the expensive Victorian chair and nursed his glass of scotch down, shaking it slightly to rattle the ice, before placing it on the table beside him. The sitting room of the Malfoy manor was ornate and dark, but not drab. All the furniture was crafted in black cherry wood, a neatly polished desk sat by the window. Scores of loose papers and folders covered its surface and were stacked up neatly on the sides. Two large picture windows overlooked the misty landscape and rolling green hills. The heavy curtains were a deep shade of green like a serpent. Pictures of the Malfoy ancestors hung on the wall, all looking prestigious and serious.  
  
Lucius sat across from him with his scotch in hand and a small smile on his face. "So what brings you here that's of such urgency?" he asked, cutting through the thick silence of the room. Snape picked up his scotch again, just out of the need to be busy with something. "I wanted to tell you what a fool you were for what you did the last time we met." He said seriously but his friend saw right through it and laughed.  
  
"A nice thank you would have sufficed." he replied and Snape smirked. "I think not. I'm quite aware that The Dark Lord is questioning my loyalty, if you ally yourself with me you're just bringing the same upon yourself." Lucius downed the rest of his drink and sighed. "I doubt that Severus. My loyalty has never wavered. I've been smart."  
  
Severus saw the veiled inquisition just from the tone his voice took and he stared hard into his face. "As have I old friend, as have I." Lucius nodded solemnly, his eyes narrowing, as if inspecting his face for any sign of traitorous markings. "Well that's good. I pity the poor fool who thinks he can turn his back on family." A family it was, as disfunctional and chaotic as it seemed. Snape nodded in response and the thick silence settled over their heads once more. 


	4. A Day of Letters

A/N: I don't own anything you recognize, just the plot. The idea for Arabella actually being young came from my darling Lozzy aka Draco's Fetish. Thanks hun :O)  
  
True Colors  
  
Earlier that day..  
  
A young woman marched through the hallways of the Ministry with a mission, a stack of papers tucked under one arm and her wand in the other. Her shoulder length dirty blond hair was up in a messy ponytail, pieces falling down to frame her angular face. Her thick rimmed glasses and serious face gave her a look of authority, even though she was petite and unimposing under her baggy brown robes. She was exhausted, just returning from her nap in the staff room. The Ministry of Magic had been working 18-hour shifts since the incident at Hogwarts.  
  
As she passed by departments she leaned in and gave out orders to her half- dead coworkers quickly, without waiting for a response. "Jess I want the files on the Zabini family on my desk by three o'clock....Mika find out if there is any new information on that DE meeting...I need an autopsy report on the Diggory boy so whoever is in charge of that get a move on!....For Merlin's sake Geoff would you give the bewitched trash can to Arthur, that thing is going to hurt someone, we have enough paperwork as it is." It was already 3:00 in the morning and nothing had been done! Rolling her green eyes, she stepped into her office and tossed the files onto a chair to avoid cluttering her desk, which was already piled high with reports, files, and folders. As she pushed a particularly large pile aside, her name plate fell to the floor, with a crash.  
  
She sighed, too lazy to walk to the front of her desk to get it she pointed her wand to the ground and lazily said, "Accio plate." With a soft whooshing sound it whizzed into her hand and she turned it over in her hands, running her thumb over the small dent on the edge before tracing the engraving with her finger lightly.  
  
Arabella Figg Department of Magical Law Enforcement  
  
She reached over the mess of work and placed it back in its spot at the front of her desk and leaned back in her chair. "Where to bloody start?" she muttered to herself and reached into a drawer, pulling out a stack of parchment and a new quill. She dipped it into the inkwell and began scribbling quickly across the paper as she reviewed what had been left for her the night before.  
  
A soft knock sounded on her door and she glanced up to see the mail boy wheel the cart into her office, dropping a handful of letters onto her desk without so much as a smile. He left just as quick as he had come and Arabella untied the string holding her mail together. She flipped through them, tossing two of them into the trash without even reading them and threw the others one by one into a basket on the floor to be viewed later. When she reached the last one she hesitated, turning it over and seeing the Hogwarts seal stamped into the back in bright red wax.  
  
She opened the envelope hesitantly, sliding the letter out and turning it over. She had met with Sirius the night before when he stopped by her home in Muggle Surrey with a letter from Dumbledore and a crack on what a sexy old woman she had made herself out to look like. Her cats of course, had not been happy with the presence of a massive black dog on the premises and had certainly reeked some havoc on her upholstery. She unfolded the letter and noticed that it lacked the elaborate letterhead that most of her mail from the school had.  
  
Miss Figg,  
  
I'm well aware that you must be frantic with work at the Ministry due to recent events but however I must...  
  
"Bella! You have a press meeting in six minutes what are you still doing here?" Arthur Weasley inquired, leaning against the doorframe. She shot up from the chair in a flash, nearly knocking it over in the processes and let out a string of curses bad enough to make Mr. Weasley take a few steps back. "Thank you for reminding me Arthur you're a life saver!" she shouted, pulling her hair out of the pony tail and running her fingers through it haphazardly, trying to look some what presentable. She ran over to the chair and began flipping through the folders she had previously thrown. "Where is it where IS it?" she muttered franticly.  
  
"This?" Arthur asked, holding up a file with P R E S S I N F O R M A T I O N written across the front flap on a messy slant. "That would be it." she answered, snatching it out of his hand and running down the corridor. "I'll make this up to you Arthur, and can you take care of Geoff's trash can when you have a moment?" she called over her shoulder. Her footsteps flew down the staircase after staircase and her muscles pulled painfully. "Almost there." she breathed as she pushed open the heavy doors to the pressroom blindly and raced up the isle between the rows of filled chairs to the front of the room. She took a seat at the long table where the other heads of the departments were already seated.  
  
She slid into the chair, cheeks burning with embarrassment and exertion, her breath still heavy from sprinting down from her office. She gave Department of International Magical Cooperation fill in chairman a small smile and ran a hand through her hair once more nervously. Being the youngest official on the bored and showing up looking like she had run a marathon did not win her points. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the disapproving look Fudge was shooting her from the far end of the table but she focused on the folder in front of her, making a show out of flipping through the papers and straightening her glasses.  
  
Fudge cleared his throat and then his voice rang out loudly over the dull roar of whispers and quiet conversation of their audience. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, I'm sure you'll be on time to publish this in the morning papers." he said, eliciting a polite chuckle from the press, "Let's get started shall we, I'll turn things over to my Department of Magical Law Enforcement head, Miss. Arabella Figg."  
  
Bella swallowed and smiled as a flash from the camera went off somewhere towards the back. "As most of you have probably hearted, there was a bit of an incident during the last event of the Triwizard Turnament at Hogwarts," she began, shuffling the papers with shaking hands, "And as I'm sure you have heard there was a student murdered." A loud murmur went up through the crowd and she waited for them to quiet down before continuing. "We're looking into this at the moment and we have no reason to believe that there is reason to worry at this moment in time." Some small voice in the back of her head chided her for lying to the public but she silenced it quickly, knowing the chaos that would peruse had she told the truth.  
  
A reporter that she recognized as being with the Daily Prophet newspaper stood, with notebook in hand and asked loudly, "Miss. Figg, can you shed some light on the rumors that this has something to do with the resurgence of the Death Eaters?" She nodded to the man and couldn't help but notice the warning looks she had received from those around her. "We have no reason to believe that at this time." she stated quietly, instantly regretting those words.  
  
~~**~~  
  
Remus returned to Timber End around noon, two bags of groceries in his arms and a bottle of fire whisky resting in each of his robe's pockets. He pushed open the door with his foot, sliding through and letting it slam behind him before dropping the bags onto the counter with a relieved sigh.  
  
"Hey Remus, you got a letter from the Ministry and another one from Arabella." Sirius called out from the kitchen. Remus rolled his eyes. Of course Sirius couldn't keep from snooping through his mail. "Thank you Sirius I should pay you to go through my mail and tell me what I got before I have a chance to sit down and read it." he muttered under his breath and picked up the packaged again, bringing them into the kitchen to stock his dwindling food supply.  
  
"You want me to unpack those?" Sirius asked, his mouth full of what looked to be a bagel, he looked up from the Daily Prophet and nodded towards the groceries. "If you promise not to eat it all." Remus answered, taking a seat at the table and picking up the letter from Arabella. He looked over the front and back of the envelope before placing it back down. "So how is Bella doing?" he inquired. Sirius glanced at him from over his shoulder and shrugged. "She's fine I suppose, those damn cats are annoying as all hell though." Remus laughed quietly.  
  
"No I mean, did she say anything like...you know, did you talk with her at all?" It sounded dumb even to his own ears. Sirius took a seat next to him. "No I really didn't have time to catch up with her, I was on a bit of a timeframe you know. She was in her old lady mode though haha. You have no idea how funny she looks!"  
  
"I admire her for doing that. I don't know many people who would move in and live among muggles just to watch over Harry." he said. Sirius just narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Right."  
  
"Oh go unpack the groceries." Remus snapped, pointing to the pantry. Sirius just laughed and leaned back in his chair. "That doesn't have to be done right now. When is Snape crashing in here?" he asked and Remus couldn't help but notice the way that he spat Snape's name.  
  
"Soon which means you better start pretending to be nice." I'm going to go take a nap because I have no doubts I'll be up all night refereeing you two." he said as he pushed his chair back and headed into his room, taking the letters and newspaper with him. Remus shut the door to his room and tossed the newspaper onto the bedside table. He held his two letters in his hands, debating about which one he wanted to open first before breaking the seal on the letter from the Ministry. The phrase save the best for last ran through his head and he chuckled to himself about how corny that line was.  
  
"To Mister Remus J. Lupin," he read aloud. "A notice from the Werewolf Registry Department of the Ministry of Magic." 


	5. A Not so Joyous Reunion

A/N: I don't own anything you recognize. I'm just a broke high school student so don't sue me ::O)  
  
True Colors  
  
Chapter 5  
  
  
  
Severus turned up his nose at the dark gray town that lay in front of him. The humidity was high, casting a thick, swirling blanket of fog across the rolling hills. The buildings left much to desire and he vaguely wondered what the broken down old shack Lupin lived in looked like. He pulled his bag closer to him and scowled as some small voice in the back of his head told him that part of the reason Lupin lived in poverty was because of his loose tongue. He promptly pushed it aside and continued walking.  
  
His feet kicked up the loose dirt, as he traveled the path through Timber End. Above him the sun was setting, the waxing moon just barely visible in the sky. He wondered if Dumbledore would carry out this unwarranted torture during the full moon. All he needed was to have another run in with an angry werewolf for his life to be complete. He flipped his hair out of his face and pursed his lips, concentrating on house numbers. His bag was becoming heavier and heavier and he was getting more and more agitated with the whole situation.  
  
And then the rain came.  
  
It seemed as if the overcast clouds that had been hanging overhead all day had finally the heavens had burst in a downpour of cold, stinging droplets. Severus nodded to himself, as if he saw it coming all along and dropped his bag into the mud. "Of course." he muttered and placed his hand over his eyes to see through the rain. He spotted the last house on the path-a two story wooden cottage with a sagging roof and tilting framework.  
  
He pulled a piece of parchment and fumbled around for his wand. "Lumos." he incanted and held the tip of the wand to the paper and skimmed through the directions before folding it back up and placing it back into his robes. That was the house. He picked up his bag again and continued on the path that diverged into a smaller, barely visible line of cracked dirt leading up to the front door.  
  
He glanced in the window and through the onslaught of water he saw the distorted image of Sirius Black, sitting in an armchair with a stack of papers before him. Severus scowled but decided that at this point, confronting Black would be preferable to being soaked through worse than he already was. Without hesitance, he banged his fist on the door, loud and clear. Sirius looked up from his papers and peered out the window into the rain.  
  
Snape could have sworn he saw him smile before he lowered his head back down, making no move to get up. Fighting a growing feeling of burning anger, he banged on the door again, knowing quite well that Sirius had heard the first time. This time however, he didn't even look up. He was about to blow the doorframe down until he heard the soft slide of a lock and the door opened widely.  
  
Remus Lupin smiled at him and took his bag as Snape wiped his feet and stepped inside. "Hello Severus, I'm sorry about keeping you in the rain I was in another room." He said cordially. Snape nodded and remembered Dumbledore's warning. "That's fine Remus." was all he could manage in response. Remus nodded and held out his hand. "Let me take your cloak." he said. Severus quickly unclasped the black cloak, made heavy with the water it had absorbed and handed it over to the werewolf who promptly walked off, probably to hang it somewhere to dry.  
  
Severus glanced around the room and noted that even though the outside was an eyesore the inside seemed to ooze with warmth and comfort. The wood on the inside was a bright brown that glowed a honey color from the reflection of the many candles. There was a stone fireplace on the floor with a small pile of wood next to it. A large table sat in between two couches and beside an overstuffed armchair in which Sirius Black occupied.  
  
As his eyes landed on Sirius he clenched his fists as a last effort to control his hated and glared. Sirius smirked and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head and looking him over from head to toe. "You might want to go wring your robes out somewhere, I do believe you're dripping. I would have answered the door but I was so engrossed in all this work and I just couldn't tear myself away, you understand."  
  
"Or I could just cast a drying spell, because unlike yourself I possess the simple pleasure of having a wand at my disposal. It's true what they say about the little things in life, is it not?" The corners of Severus' mouth turned up as he watched the egotistical smirk disappear from Sirius' face to be replaced with a look of cold hatred. Their eyes bore into each other for a moment, each refusing to back down before Remus' light footsteps sounded down the hallway, breaking the tension that was filling the room. Sirius muttered under his breath and picked up his quill, attempting to look busy.  
  
Remus had noticed his mistake of leaving the two alone a bit too late, from the looks on their faces his hopes that a somewhat friendly reunion would take place were dashed. The group hug would have to be saved for a later date when Sirius didn't look so murderous and Snape's barriers weren't up so high. He looked from Sirius tensed muscles to Severus' clenched jaw and decided that it was a good time for a cleverly placed distraction. He turned to Snape and gestured down the hallway. "Do you want to put your things away?" he asked. Severus nodded and picked up his bag, following Remus into a cramped room with only a bed, a dresser, and a small desk.  
  
"Well, you can unpack and change in here. Let me know if you need anything." Remus offered as he shut the door quietly. He listened to the footsteps quickly move down the hallway and then came the barely audible hiss of , "Sirius Black you purposely left him out there!" He tilted his head to catch more of the conversation but the two had apparently lowered their voices. He gave up and took in his surroundings and couldn't help but feel distaste for the lack of finery. His room at Hogwarts was neatly furnished with dark, heavy green curtains and polished wooden furniture. This window was bare, as was the dresser. The wallpaper was cracked and faded with dark stains running down from the ceiling. The only clue that the room was occupied was the ornate set of quills and ink set upon the desk. Severus sighed and dropped his bag on the bed, dumping out the contents and sorted them.  
  
The longer he spent getting settled in, the longer it would be before he had to deal with the two Marauders again. He examined himself in the side mirror and saw that he was still soaking wet, his lank hair clinging to his face and matted down. He cast a drying charm to his robes and dried his hair with a towel, not bothering to brush it. He placed his clothes neatly in the dresser and shut it, looking around for something else to delay him but found nothing.  
  
~*~  
  
Sirius flinched at Remus' condescending tone and lowered his eyes to the floor. It took a lot to get Remus frustrated and he felt bad that he just couldn't swallow his pride and at least pretend that all those years of hate didn't matter to him. "Look, I'm sorry Remus, but he didn't exactly barge in with a smile and a fruit basket either." Sirius pointed out, quick to shift the blame. Remus sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy hair, his expression softening. "I know," he said, voice and mannerisms absent of any anger, "But can you at least try? It will be so much easier if both of you just try. It was so long ago Sirius..."  
  
"It wasn't long ago that he betrayed your trust in him! It's because of him that you can't get a job anywhere." Sirius snapped bitterly. Remus frowned and he suddenly felt guilty for bringing that up, it had always been a sore subject for his friend who tried to hard to earn respect even when he was treated like an animal. "It's indirectly his fault Sirius, the fault is laid on centuries of prejudice and misunderstandings that people can't push aside." Remus said softly. When no answer came Remus dropped into the couch and muttered, "Besides, that's my battle not yours."  
  
Sirius smiled and tossed a newspaper at him playfully, "It was never your battle to fight alone, Moony." Remus smirked at the old nickname, which he hadn't heard often but his expression showed that his mind was elsewhere. His long fingers idly picked at some loose stuffing on the arm of the couch. "Did you read the letters?" Sirius asked. "The one from the Ministry." was the rapid response.  
  
"And...?" Remus sighed and shifted his weight uncomfortably in the seat. "I have to make a trip up there tomorrow." he said, turning to Sirius to determine his reaction. Sirius nodded and sat back in the chair, glancing down the hallway to the room Severus was staying in. "I don't suppose you can bring your innocent little puppy with you?" he asked. Remus shook his head and Sirius sighed. "Why do you need to go there anyway?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not the only one, from what I gather from the letter quite a few of us will be heading up there. It probably has something to do with our files or some new protocol, something along those lines. It probably shouldn't last more than a day." Remus answered, knowing all too well that the situation was explosive enough with him there and would become more so in his absence.  
  
He opened his mouth to warn Sirius that he expected to come home to a harmonious working relationship involving no dead bodies or broken objects when Severus emerged from the room and stood behind the couch. Remus could sense he was uncomfortable and smiled warmly. "If you're hungry the pantry is in there, help yourself." he said, motioning over to the kitchen. Severus followed the wave of his hand with his head but looked back over at the two. "No thank you," he said, a bit less cold then usual. An uncomfortable silence perused before Severus cleared his throat. "I think I'm going to get to work on some files for Dumbledore." he said gruffly, turning on his heel and heading back to the room.  
  
Remus sighed and turned back to Sirius who held up his hands, as if to fend off any words he might say. "That one wasn't my fault." he said with just a hint of a smile.  
  
~*~  
  
Arabella glanced out the small window in her office. It was early morning and the steadily waxing moon was still visible in the sky, a faint outline against the dawn.  
  
She dipped her quill in the ink well, tapping it against the side before running it across the parchment. The light from the single candle beside her illuminated her tidy scrawl and sent a flickering orange color across the page. She stretched, feeling her back crack in protest and she sighed. The hard wooden chair was getting more and more uncomfortable, she had been sitting in it for most of the night and was still only done with half of the work she had to do.  
  
As the quill scratched across the parchment and the words blurred together on the paper the first morning rays of sun shone, making their way across the floor and landed in her red rimmed eyes, twinkling in the blond of her hair. She turned her head towards it, rotating her stiff neck and sighed. Her body was not taking the 42-hour workday very well. Her head rested on her arm as she tried to focus on the pages before her. Her hand brushed against wax she she picked up the letter from Dumbledore in her hand. With all the commotion and meetings and conferences of the day she had forgotten about it.  
  
She slipped the parchment out again and unfolded it, feeling it crinkle under her fingers and began to read.  
  
A/N: Ah yes I'm evil haha. Well there's chapter five. I'm gonna try really hard to get 6 out before Friday but I have midterms all this week and that might be a little hard haha Please R/R and make me happy :O) 


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